Happiness Delivered in a Note
by FeatherQuill12
Summary: When she returns to Hogwarts after the war, Hermione notices a change in the Draco Malfoy she once despised. Intrigued, she sets out to uncover his secret and help him through what may be his most sarcastic phases. Dramione. Dark Humor. Rated T for language. Enjoy! FQ
1. Chapter 1

**A/N****This is a shortish story, so far i have about 12 chapters planned and possibly an epilogue, but it really relies on if you like it or not so please keep reviewing because they really do keep me going. this is my first time writing a Dramione fic so I'm hoping you like it! R&R thank you! FQ**

_**I do not own anything but the plot.**_

Happiness Delivered in a note

Chapter 1

He was different. Hermione had noticed it when they had first got on the train at the beginning of the year. There were no more sneers, no more taunting and, in what should have been a refreshing twist, no more Malfoy, at least no more of the old one. The reason Hermione was particularly shocked by this realization was not because of the sudden change in the blondes demeanour, but the sudden change in hers. The boy's change of heart should have brought a wash of relief a fair tidings over her in her eighth year at Hogwarts, however Hermione could not help but feel as if something was missing. It was as if she actually...missed the old Malfoy. He had after all been a part of their lives for seven years and with the war and everything, maybe she thought he would be the one thing that would stay the same.

It was fair to say her companions did not feel the same way at all. Ron would comment and criticize everything the blonde did and Harry, being the 'cool headed' one would try to calm him down, all the while glaring at the back of the white blonde head. Hermione found the whole thing very mature (sarcasm intended.)

Often, they two would taunt Malfoy, trying to exact some kind of reaction by insulting him and throwing notes across the classroom, all whilst giggling like the pair of idiotic twonks they were. Their reward? A cool, collected, slightly sexy glance in their direction and an arched eyebrow that looked as if it could make Napoleon himself blush and kneel down before him, adjusting his hand in his jacket accordingly of course.

The way she saw it, Malfoy was in his own little, incomplete cell. He had locked everyone else in his life out and driven them away. But Hermione could tell it was incomplete, because no matter how hard she tried, she found herself drawing closer an closer to the cell.

Hermione spent most days staring at the blonde, trying in vain to see into his mind, to know what terrible, tragic thing had happened to him to turn him into the empty husk he had become. Ever since stepping off the platform her eyes and brain had been analysing him, counting every falter in his step, every time his left had twitched, every time he fumbled his words or shivered uncontrollably. Nothing added up.

Draco had always been a coward, hiding behind others until he absolutely had to fight. So it was no surprise to everyone when he ran from the battle so early on, but if he wasn't there for the battle, what happened after? It couldn't have been the guilt of killing Dumbledore, after all he never actually did that. Was it becoming a Death Eater? No, they were all caught and imprisoned after the war and he was set free for being forced into it. So what was so bad that it drove him to be the humbled recluse he now was?

Hermione was pondering all of this during Advanced Potions, there wasn't much else to do when you had already done everything in the book over summer like she had.

A short bald man wearing a yellow tweed jacket with elbow patches and a pocket square was teaching today. After Snape, McGonagall had been unable to find another suitable Professor, unfortunately this meant they got stuck with a new one every couple of days or so. So far they had had nine different potions Professors this year, and they were only four weeks into the school year. That meant that each professor only stayed around 3.1 days...good going guys.

The man teaching today had a portly figure and was no more than four feet tall, giving him the illusion of a beach ball. His cat sick yellow jacket and beige Jodhpurs gave him the feel of an old fashioned explorer, all the outfit needed was a beige hat and a silk scarf. This made Hermione giggle slightly, which caught his attention.

He started plodding towards her desk, oh Merlin, what was his name, what was his name?

"Is something funny, Miss Granger?" he looked at her expectantly. Hermione had to stop herself from laughing at the fact that although she was sat down she was still eye-level with the man.

"No, um, Professor." He raised an eyebrow and she found herself comparing the hairy caterpillar to Malfoys smooth, silver arch. Think fast. She looked at the board, bingo! "It's just your measurements of Unicorn Horn and Bat Wings are the wrong way around, if your were to mix that potion now you would just end up with a gloopy yellow mess." _Much like your jacket._

The Professor simply humphed and walked(waddled) away, a few snickers from people at the back could be heard.

Neither Ron nor Harry had taken this class and she found herself kind of grateful for it. After all if they were here what chance did she have of finding out what happened to Malfoy?

To anyone else Draco Malfoy would look fine, the usual cool collected self he had always been, but she could see that in his eyes a storm was constantly brewing, growing until one day she was sure he would explode.

* * *

She was staring at him. He had noticed it since the sorting. She was staring and she wouldn't stop. It wasn't some creepy I-want-to-lock-you-in-a-room-and-either-kill-you-or-have-my-wicked-way-with-you look either it was a I-will-know-what-you're-thinking look.

He hadmanaged to successfully push away everyone except Blaise, the only reason he was still around was because they shared a room. So why did this inquisitive little know-it-all have to come asking questions with her eyes?

He knew the answer to that though. She was Hermione Granger. She was annoying, snooty, stupid, Gryffindor, part of the golden trio, a hero, loved, she thought she was better than him, loyal, strong, a warrior, beautifu- wait what? No, she was an ugly...ugly...

He found himself looking at her over his shoulder in potions, the Professor looked ridiculous and everyone thought so too. just as Draco was about to burst out into a sniggering fit, a small chiming giggle was heard from the middle of the classroom.

"Is something funny, Miss Granger?"

"No, um, Professor." She had forgotten his name. Hermione Granger, class pet, prize of Hogwarts, had forgotten a teachers name. Draco expected her to look horrified, but tears of laughter filled her eyes as she made up some excuse about the ingredients on the board.

Wow, Hermione Granger had changed.

* * *

**Please let me know if you like it and have any requests!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N****Second chapter on the second day, I am on a roll! I noticed you guys already are following and favoriting(?) this so i thought...SHOUTOUTS**

**Thanks (and flapjacks) to:**

**TiaMalfoy1D**

**GinnyJackson**

**FairyGurl**

**ELM-Tree10**

**and **

**Happyelephant**

Chapter 2

He was doing it again. That weird hand twitchy thing, occasionally rubbing the back of his neck. Hermione found herself copying his actions, looking down at her hand, shuffling awkwardly in her seat and reaching behind her curly chocolate hair to rub the back of her neck. this made her wonder if she had always done this, copying people in order to understand them. Her mother had always said you never really know someone until you live their life. Then again her mother had also said not to leave flapjack in the sun too long because it would attract ducks.

Hermione's mother was fantastic. Constantly happy, constantly making tea and constantly smothering Hermione with hugs and kisses. she also had a strange obsession with ducks. If her mother had a patronus, it would be a duck. She adored them. She would buy teacups and paintings with duck on, she would embroider them onto cushions, she even had three of those little china flying ducks on the wall of the living room.

Hermione didn't understand her mothers obsession. Once, when she was seven, she had asked and her mother had replied with, "They are the most understated of all animals, and yet they still manage to be calm, understanding and gentle. I wish to be like that someday."

Of course seven year old Hermione was smart, but she couldn't see why her mother thought she wasn't all of those things and more. Now she understood. Growing up fast was hard. She had to do it for the war and her mother had to too. Jean Granger was nineteen when she had Hermione, a Dental student along side her fiancée, who would soon become her father. Growing up fast was in their genes.

Malfoy did it again, so once again Hermione copied. She had been sneaky, but she was sure he knew she was watching. Every so often, when he thought she couldn't see, he would peek over his shoulder at her. the look in his eyes intrigued Hermione. It was admiration mixed with conflict, regret mixed with longing, as if he was begging for forgiveness and it humiliated him. Like sour ice-cream, it should have been good but it was just so hard to swallow.

That was the look that made all of Hermione's instincts scream. She wanted to comfort him, to hold him and tell him its okay, to say she understands. at the same time she wanted to scream, she wanted to ask why he ran, why he didn't stay and fight on with Harry, why he didn't just stand up to his father.

She knew why. She knew why he couldn't because she had felt it too. He was scared. He would never admit it but he was. Hermione had been terrified just standing twenty meters away from Voldemort, Malfoy had lived with him in his house for weeks. She couldn't even begin to imagine what that was like.

Next to her, Harry and Ron were sniggering about something Professor sprout had said.

Hermione hushed them, annoyed.

"Now you should neatly trim down your Hex Hedge..." Professor Sprout continued.

"I do like a nicely trimmed hedge!" Ron exclaimed in what he probably thought was a funny voice and the boys in the room all burst into giggles.

This was when Hermione noticed Malfoys shoulders shake once. He laughed.

Maybe he would be okay, maybe he could still laugh and be happy. But it was then that she noticed the look of surprise on his face. He was surprised, he wasn't expecting to laugh. As if returning to a stoic statue, his face set back into that cold mess.

"Hey, 'Mione, what'cha looking at?" Harry asked still sniggering. following her line of sight.

"Nothing, it's just... does Malfoy seem different to you?" She turned to the two to find identical incredulous looks on their faces.

"No!" They both replied.

"He's still the stupid, evil, Death Eater he always was, just now he's more lonely haha." Ron joked.

"That's horrible, Ron."

"How is it? He killed people Hermione!"

"You have no proof of that!"

"He killed Dumbledore!" This caused the whole class to stop.

"No he didn't. And you know that." Her voice was slowly growing. "You just cant accept that he's different now."

Hermione's hand found itself on the back of her neck again, a habit she picked up from Draco no doubt.

"What was that?" Harry's voice sounded small, but it also sounded dangerous.

"Hmm?"

"The neck...thing...he does that." Crap, Harry had noticed her new habit and apparently she wasn't the only one who knew where it came from.

"Harry..." She tried to approach it the way you would a dog, careful, slowly, earn its trust.

* * *

Draco was sat in Herbology, trimming the leaves from the plant in front of him when he heard Weasel and Potter giggling in the back of the greenhouse before being hushed by Granger. They confused him sometimes. They laughed at anything and nothing.

Suddenly the Weasel shouted, in response to the Professors instructions, "I do like a nicely trimmed hedge!"

All around him people started laughing. that was when it happened. the most monumental event to ever happen to Draco in his life.

He laughed.

It was only small, and it was only once but it happened and it froze him. The shock was like a lightning bolt dancing through the air around him, never quite hitting him. His response was to freeze.

Then from behind him he heard them talking. Well...kind of.

"'Mione...looking at?"

"...Malfoy...different to you?"

"No!" That bit was clear.

"He's...evil...eater...always...more lonely haha"

Then it kicked off.

And he realized, she was defending him.

"He killed people, Hermione!" No, he didn't. Attacking.

"You have no proof of that!" Defending.

"He killed Dumbledore!" The class fell silent. I didn't. Attacking.

"No he didn't. And you know that." Her voice was slowly growing. "You just cant accept that he's different now."

That shocked Draco. She thought he was different. If it was true then she was the only one in this goddamn place with a heart. Then again, she always was special.

Then came the third big shock of the day. The neck thing. His neck thing that he had somehow developed, she was doing it. And he wasn't the only one to notice it.

Potter looked pissed. Draco could see all the thoughts running through his head. Where did Granger pick that up? When? Had they been talking? Had they become friends? Or more?

Granger could see those thoughts too. She became still, one hand out stretched, as if taming a dog. And she made the biggest mistake of her life.

She looked over her shoulder. Right into my eyes.

That was it. I ran.

* * *

Once she had looked over at him she knew it was a mistake. He ran out of the greenhouse and disappeared into the castle. Harry saw the glance, the meeting of eyes. That was enough for him. The chase was on.

Harry dashed out of the greenhouses after the blonde, his face the picture of rage.

"HARRY!" She shouted after him.

He had changed in the war and Hermione knew that he would not hesitate to make Draco bleed. So she did the only thing she could. They would never forgive her for this, after all thy weren't Hufflepuffs.

"STUPIFY!"

* * *

**Please tell me what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N****Hey guys soo...dont kill me. I know it has been like two weeks, which is really quite bad but it is exam time at school soo busy busy and all that jazz. Anyway to make up for it here is an extra long chapter! BTW there is a lot of switching between characters in this one so it might be a bit confusing. **

**You can see Hermione's dress on my profile.**

**Shoutouts!**

**thanks to:**

**ForTheLove24**

**foreverjuliet**

**Hallowrain8587**

**ILoveKovumiki**

**Illaniah**

Chapter 3

This was bad. She was bad. She knocked out her best friend! Harry was currently in the hospital wing with a dazed expression and a rather large bump on his head and a furious frown. Harry Potter, the boy who lived, was hurt and mad at her... this day just kept getting better. To make matters worse, Ron, being as awkward as he was, stood there looking as if he wanted to scream at Hermione but there were people sleeping and if he did he would get kicked out. Of course the sky would fall on their heads if he was ever away from the black haired boy.

Hermione tuned in just in time to hear Harry.

"Can you get rid of the bruise before tonight?"

Tonight? what was happening tonight? It wasn't anyone's birthday and it certainly wasn't Christmas, it was only October...

* * *

"Ginny!" Hermione shouted down the corridor, through the stream of students, at the red head. She turned, green eyes wide.

"Hermione! Where the hell have you been? I've been looking for you forever!"

"What's the date?" Hermione rushed, this was not happening, she didn't just forget things like this!

"What! What do you mean? Oh Merlin, I knew there was a reason you hadn't been to see me yet. C'mon!" She grabbed Hermione's hand and dragged her back towards the Gryffindor tower.

Ever since the war, Ginny had changed and, strangely enough, she seemed happier. She was dealing with the loss of her brother remarkably well, this was one trait Hermione admired her for. As they ran through the bustling hallways Hermione couldn't help but notice the way Ginny buzzed around, constantly talking and thinking and dodging people. It was almost as if she were an exact replica of her mother, on the inside anyway, and this was a girl who was convinced she would never be anything like her mother.

They rushed through the Gryffindor common room, ignoring stares as they went. Hermione stopped. Ginny's room had been one of the ones rebuilt after the war, and there was no change... This was one of the things that hit Hermione hard. All evidence of the castle ever looking like she remembered was gone, children would grow up in this castle and never understand what really happened here. The only evidence of a war would be the hundreds of graves scattering the land, ribbons of names that will be there but forgotten. Like a book with nothing but a title.

Hermione stood there for a moment longer, the smile fading from her face.

"'Mione!" Ginny called. Blinking, Hermione stepping into the room, pasting a smile onto her face. It never reached her eyes.

"Coming! So, what are we doing?"

"Hermione! Oh Merlin, we're making your costume, it's the Hallows Masquerade Ball tonight!" Realization dawned on Hermione's face. "I'm guessing from that look that you don't have a date either? Or even a mask?" Ginny sighed, frustrated and started conjuring giant rolls of fabric. "You just...sit."

Doing as she was told, Hermione sat on the edge of Ginny's bed. the Hallows Masquerade ball had been tradition for, well, forever. It had always been Molly who had made her costume, but this year the duty fell to Ginny. Molly had broken after the war, being as strong as she was she just couldn't bear to see her remaining twin so...empty. Molly's costumes had always been jolly and fun, as if she were trying to distract them from the bad in the world. Hermione could tell from the elegant lace and long, tapered sleeves that Ginny's would be the picture of beauty.

"Okay! No looking yet! Let's see we have...two hours, that'll do." Ginny started ushering Hermione into the bathroom. "Sit."

"Y'know I'm starting to feel like a dog."

"Well if you sit still you can have a treat afterwards." She ruffled Hermione's hair, ignoring her scowl.

Suddenly, Hermione was attacked by a giant fluffy powder puff, the dry cloud invaded her nose and mouth making her sneeze and causing Ginny to shout at her.

After what seemed like hours, though it was only about twenty minutes, she looked up at the mirror which was promptly blocked by a certain red-headed witch.

"No peeking! C'mon." She guided Hermione into the dorm where Luna was lain on her bed talking to some invisible thing above her. She gave a small wave as they passed. "Okay close your eyes!" Ginny ordered.

Hermione felt the fabric of her robes being replaced by soft silk and delicate lace. she felt large sleeves brush her wrists and a whoosh of air as the skirt settled at her feet. she felt her school shoes be replaced by boots and a large necklace was placed around her neck. She heard a gasp.

Opening her eyes she saw her reflection in the mirror and her breathing stopped, before she remembered she did actually need oxygen.

She looked amazing. Her hair was curled into neat, loose ringlets instead of her usual frizzy mess. Her face was pale and her long dark lashes contrasted like night and day, framing her emerald eyes that were once simply green. Her lips were a pale pink and her cheeks were slightly flushed.

The dress was just...wow. Ginny had outdone herself. White silk trailed from the top of her bust where it was straight and smooth, down to her feet where it swayed and pooled. Thin lace coiled around the bodice and hung down the skirt in small trails. The sleeves hung off her shoulders and spread to wide layered cuffs and an intricate faux diamond necklace hung around her neck. Ginny handed her a simple white lace mask.

"Your mask, Miss Havisham?"

* * *

The Great hall looked amazing, decorated in traditional black and orange. Jack O' Lanterns hopped around the tables and spiders crawled on webs on the roof, occasionally one would drop down and scare some poor fourth year girl, Draco found this very amusing. Halloween was never really his thing, after all the scares he had had in his life. he was wearing a simple black suit and black mask. the most intricate thing about his whole outfit was the three feathers that decorated the left eye of the mask.

From what he could see there were at least seven Dumbledores/Merlins, eighteen spiders and no less than twenty fifth year girls dressed as 'sexy' devils, three of which had already tried to make a move on him. it was hard work being gorgeous. Some pretty ingenious Slytherin had dressed as a Hufflepuff and was walking around screaming at everything from cups to Gryffindors, earing him plenty of laughs from his friends.

The most ridiculous outfit so far was on a first year Ravenclaw who had made a giant plastic Pi costume and had to explain it to everyone.

Suddenly the hall grew quiet and all talk stopped. Draco felt his heart thud.

There, stood in the doorway, was the most beautiful Mrs., no, Miss Havisham he had ever seen. Her face was pale and smooth and was adorned by two glowing emeralds, visible even through the lace mask. Her dress cascaded to her feet as she moved with such grace and beauty that Draco was sure she was no-ne from Hogwarts.

Then a very proud looking Jessica Rabbit walked through the door before taking Miss Havisham's hand and leading her towards the drinks. All conversation resumed, but no one really took their eyes off the girl. Draco could tell that not one of them, apart from the Ravenclaws, knew who her character was. He did and he wanted to know who she was too.

"Don't look now but Draco Malfoy is staring at you." Ginny mumbled to her.

Hermione looked over at him in the corner of the room before looking away again, she was right.

The costume had attracted a little more attention than she had wanted, everyone wanted to know who the mysterious bride was. Come midnight they would, she would remove her mask and everyone would see that this beautiful bride was nothing but Hermione Granger, boring, ugly, nerd. Suddenly she was terrified. What would they think of her, they would think she was a fake, trying too hard to get noticed. Ginny was over chatting with a vampire and a werewolf whom she assumed to be Harry and Ron. She wouldn't miss her.

Draco saw Miss Havisham walk towards the door and slip out, cautiously. Slowly, he got up and followed.

As he walked down the corridor he saw a glint of lace in the moonlight and it disappeared around a corner, towards the grounds.

Hermione was running, her tears threatening to fall. She ran towards the grounds, she just needed to be alone, she needed to cry. She sat on the steps to the grounds and buried her head in her hands.

Draco found her. Sat on the steps to the grounds, she was crying. Gently he approached her. She heard his footsteps and looked up, her mask hid her tears but he could tell.

It was Draco. Was he here to torture her even more, to taunt her, to tease her about crying? But the more she looked the more she saw. His face wasn't teasing or sneering, it was concerned.

"Do...Do you want to talk?" He asked. Hermione had never seen him like this, so caring, his voice was soft and...alive.

She simply shook her head, if she spoke, he would find out who she was and, just for now, she didn't want to risk his kindness.

He came and sat next to her, the moonlight glinting from his platinum hair.

"Y'know, sometimes I feel like crying too." This struck Hermione hard, she looked up in surprise. "I know, the great Draco Malfoy, destroyer of hearts, cries."

She gave him an inquisitive look.

"When you've had the live I have, it would be impossible to go a week without crying." Hermione's heart jumped at this. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this, you could just as well go and tell the whole school."

She shook her head, her eyes concerned. Somehow her hand found his on the stone step. He looked at her in...wonder.

"Who are you?"

At that moment the castle rung with the sound of cheers, it was midnight.

Draco slowly untied his mask and laid it down on the step next to him before looking up at her.

Should she? What would he do once he found out? Why did she care so much?

Ever so slowly, he reached up and, his fingers brushing her face, removed the mask. She stared at his shocked face and he said nothing. he turned and looked up at the full silver moon before reaching out and pulling Hermione in to lean on his shoulder.

Hermione's eyes widened in shock before she relaxed into his side, staring up at the moon.

She felt his shoulders shake, once, twice, uncontrollable. He was crying.

Sitting up she turned to face him, wiping the tears from his face.

"Sometimes, the things we cry about most are the ones that are easiest to fix."

Draco collapsed into her chest and wept and she sat there, running her hands through his hair.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N ****Hey so i had real rouble uploading this time cause it is exam time and at my school we take a Science GCSE at the end of year 10 (In England) so ive been kind of busy with that and my final project for art but the exams are over the next two weeks so after that i should be able to get back to normal. **

**It's great that you guys all enjoy this so thank you! Please keep reviewing, it really helps. I also want to apologise for any spelling mistakes or grammar mishaps, I try to edit it as much as possible but even I make misakes.**

**Shoutouts:**

**nepomon**

Chapter 4

They hadn't spoken, not since that night. Was that bad? He was her enemy...right?

Hermione was, quite obviously, conflicted. On one hand, she was a Gryffindor, part of the Golden Trio, the brightest witch of her age, but on the other, it was Draco Malfoy, notorious, gorgeous, geniusSlytherin. It was, all in all, a very conflicting matter indeed.

Hermione was not like the other students of Hogwarts, especially the Gryffindors. Where they were pig-headed and steadfast, she was level-minded and calculating, she held her self with an assured grace as her peers burrowed past, headfirst and clumsy. she was smart and strong, so why did she feel so frustratingly dumb and weak around Draco Malfoy, of all people?

She was lost in her thoughts when a certain red haired boy spat slimy orange pumpkin juice all over the seat to her right.

"What!?" Ron screamed, his face a look of pure disbelief.

"Yup, Dean saw them together, said they were getting cosy, too, said they couldn't have been closer if they tried." Seamus Finnigan was announcing loudly, his chest puffed out and his head held high at the prospect of knowing something juicy. Hermione knew something juicy, it was seeping into the seat beside her. "He said they were sat so close that even McGonagall couldn't have pried 'em apart if she tried."

"B-but..." There was a pause as anger rose up in Ron, which then dissipated in an almost visible cloud of steam. He turned to Hermione. "'Mione is this true?"

"Is what true, Ronald?" She sounded strong but inside her heart was hammering her ribcage, they knew, they knew, they knew-

"Neville and Luna!? Why did nobody tell me?" Hermione let out a sigh, she was safe.

"We did tell you Ron, you're just oblivious."

The rest of breakfast was spent in silence for Hermione and in loud shouting arguments for Ron, his occasional sideways glances did not go unnoticed.

Draco felt peaceful. For the first time in forever, he felt like he could breathe. The moment with Hermione had cleared his head of all the choked up feelings. It was only when he turned the corner did his mood plummet.

Standing, leaning on the wall was one and only Boy Who Lived. He was leaning, arms crossed and head tilted forward, his dark hair shadowing his face and shielding his faded scar. his ankles were crossed and he as hunched over, waiting.

As Draco approached he lifted his head, just enough to peek out of the corner of his eye at him. The blonde stopped. The way Potter looked was...scary. The dark glint in his eyes and the threatening, gleaming smirk, so similar to Draco's own, created a shadowed, dangerous figure.

Something had changed in Potter in the war, something dark had enveloped his soul and a blackness had dyed his eyes. Maybe it was the loss, or the stress, or even the very thought of war that had changed him, or maybe something had just snapped but whatever it was, Draco didn't like it.

"Malfoy." Potter regarded him.

"Potter..." He let out a fake laugh, "What is this? You trying to jump me? finally batting for the other team I see."

"Fuck off, Malfoy. That's not why I'm here, what have you done to Hermione?" His voice was calm yet strong and urgent.

"I have no idea what you mean."

Suddenly there was blinding hot pain coursing through Draco's jaw and he could feel a lump forming.

"DON'T FUCK WITH ME, MALFOY!" He screamed.

"Okay! Okay!" He was on the floor, the black haired boy standing over him. "Nothing has happed, we've just talked! I Swear!"

Potters eyes were soaked in a jeering glare. "Don't you ever talk to her again. You come near her, it'll be more than your jaw I break." He walked away towards the great hall. Nice going, Draco thought, Only 9am and you've already been beat up.

Stumbling to his feet he made his way towards the grounds, classes could wait.

Hermione was heading out of the Great Hall when she came face to face with the leader of the Golden Trio. A nasty smirk ripped across his face accompanied by a proud glimmer in his eye. He was massaging the knuckles of his right hand and the skin of his fingers was red.

"Hey, mate! Where've you been?" Ron asked, rowdily.

"Just giving a certain ferret the chop." Harry joked and Ron cheered.

"What?" Hermione's voice was low and serious and she stared dead straight at the boy infront of her. He looked at her for a second.

"Oh come on 'Mione! Don't tell me your annoyed, I know you enjoy seeing him all beat up just as much as the rest of us. Or have you gone soft now you're fucking Malfoy?" Harry raised an eyebrow, as if challenging Hermione.

"Harry James Potter," Her voice had become deadly, the way a lion's growls grows as it pounces. "I have never and will never enjoy seeing anyone like that, I am not like you."

With that she stormed off, a heavy silence falling over the crowd.

She found him by the lake, nursing a purple jaw and a bruised backside. The bruise on his jaw had turned almost black, outlined by a faded purple, like an ink blot seeping into thin paper. it was red around the edges and whenever he tried to open his mouth he stood for a moment and watched. she watched as the sun bounced from his white-gold hair, she observed how his quicksilver eyes reflected the fiery tones of the sun through the autumnal leaves overhead and how the reflections of the water danced across his skin in light, airy ribbons as if it were entangling him and dragging him down to the deep.

She walked over and sat beside him. He was desperately trying to see where the damage was to fix it, but without a mirror he was struggling. She took his cheek in one hand and he flinched. She lightened her touch to a feather's weight and carefully touched her wand to his skin.

_"AuferoLivor."_

Slowly the black changed back to the normal pale ivory of the boy's face, with the addition of slightly flushed cheekbones.

"Thank you." The words were quiet yet sincere and more genuine than anything Hermione had ever heard Harry or Ron say.

"Your welcome," She started, "I'm sorry."

"What for?" A small crease appeared in the centre of his forehead and Hermione longed to reach out and smooth it.

"For...this." She gestured to his face and a look of incredulous amusement spread across Draco's face.

"What have you to be sorry for, you're not the one in the Gryffindor common room telling everyone how you finally socked Malfoy one."

"No," She started, "I did that in second year."

He laughed before stopping, his jaw still sore.

"You know he won't like us talking." Draco said after a while.

"So?" Hermione replied.

"OH MY MERLIN!"

"Ginny, I know!"

Ginny was hysterical, in a good way but still.

"But...it's Malfoy! He's like..."

"Totally evil, a bully and supposedly my worst enemy?"

"Well...I was going to say gorgeous."

"But," Hermione started, "What do I do about Harry and Ron?"

"Humph, leave them to me."


End file.
